At the start of the year, many individuals and couples renew their commitment to fitness and wellness. Maybe you and your loved one have done it before, or plan to! Sometimes, couples start a new fitness class or program together to improve their health and hold each other accountable. Early on, a pattern emerges: a couple starts a resistance training workout, and the first few sets go well. The husband notices his wife is ready for the next set, while he still feels winded. His first thought is, "she's not lifting heavy enough." His second thought is, "what's wrong with me?" The wife, similarly, notices she's ready for the next set and recognizes the look on her husband's face that says he's not 100% himself. She thinks, "he's not as fit as I thought," along with all the implications that come with it.
The truth is, both the husband and wife are performing within their normal expectations. During resistance training, men require longer rest periods between sets. Scientists have observed this for the past two decades and now understand why this difference exists.
It helps to look at the woman's body as the baseline. Women can sometimes rest as little as 30 seconds between sets, averaging between 30 and 90 seconds before they feel fully prepared for their next resistance training set. A woman's muscle fibers, hormones, and cardiorespiratory system help her recover in about 90 seconds or less. By comparison, a man's body has a higher proportion of Type II muscle fibers, which create more metabolic demands. A woman's higher proportion of Type I muscle fibers allows her to complete a set of exercises without the same metabolic demand. Relative to their overall mass, men have less estrogen in their bodies. Estrogen has muscle-protective properties, reducing damage and inflammation to the muscle fibers. Estrogen also enhances blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles more effectively, which accelerates their recovery between sets. Men's bodies do not have the same density of capillaries near their muscles compared to women, which inhibits their ability to clear out metabolic byproducts and lactate build-up. Finally, because men tend to lift heavier loads relative to their overall mass, there is greater demand on the neuromuscular system and greater use of phosphocreatine, both of which require time to reload, alongside the replenishment of glycogen stores and ATP within the muscle cells.
So, take the rest period that works best for YOU. If your partner is ready to go and you aren't, let them go ahead. They can also wait for you if you'd like to stay in sync throughout the workout session. Women should aim for a 90-second break (or less) between sets, while men should aim for a 2 to 3-minute break for optimal recovery. If you're working with a personal trainer or going to a fitness class, your coach is trained to respond to your needs and tweak the timing of the workout accordingly. And if you do need more time, ask for it!
Celebrate the differences!
Thanks John! I should rest longer between sets!!